THE owner of The New Saints, Mike Harris, says he has a dual dream of regular European group stage football and a 10,000 capacity stadium.

The Saints owner told the BBC that the club is looking for land in the town to build a new stadium with 'at least 10,000 seats' and hopes to fill it with fans watching regular European football.

Harris, often a colourful and controversial figure in Welsh football, was speaking to the BBC to mark 30 years since the creation of the Cymru Premier League.

And he told the corporation that his dream is the culmination of years of hard work.

"Getting to the group stage is very, very difficult in the Champions League," Harris said.

"But I believe getting into the group stages of one of the three competitions is well within our grasp in the next two or three seasons.

"Our ability to compete off the pitch is growing but if you also look at what we're doing within our academy, we're attracting the best young kids in the local area.

"We're hoping to find a new site in Oswestry to build a new ground with hopefully 10,000 seats.

"My business in America is going very, very well and I intend to invest heavily in The New Saints to achieve those goals."

TNS are on the only side currently in the league that are full-time – with Connah's Quay Nomads only just turning part-time – but he told the BBC he would like to see all the clubs become professional.

"I'd love to see the league full time," Harris told BBC Sport Wales.

"Change for nothing is not worth changing and I'm a big believer that any change from here has to be backed by financial plans from the FAW.

"I know the league has shrunk and in an ideal world you don't play everybody three or four times a season.

"If the talent is spread out too thin then you can't compete in Europe, because that's one source of cash - if it's too narrow the fans don't like it.

"But ultimately if the FAW could find say, a TV deal for £1m and a sponsor for £1.5m, you could insist at least eight teams were full time.

"Without full time there's no chance I would ever support any change to the league.

"Twelve seems to be a good league, not as good as it would be if it was 16 or 18, but at least there's enough money to bring good football."